Essential Guide to Homeland Security Cyber Storm National Cyber Exercises: Full Reports from Five Cyber Attack Simulations Through 2016, Preparedness, Response, Coordination and Recovery Mechanisms

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this unique compilation reproduces all five official Homeland Security reports about their important series of cyber security exercised known as Cyber Storm, including the 2016 exercise. Cyber Storm (CS), the Department's capstone national-level cyber exercise series, provides the framework for the most extensive government-sponsored cybersecurity exercises of its kind. Mandated by Congress, these exercises are part of the Department's ongoing efforts to assess and strengthen cyber preparedness and examine incident response processes. DHS uses the findings from these exercises to advance collective cyber incident response capabilities. They also strengthen information sharing partnerships among federal, state, international, and private sector partners. The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center's (NCCIC) National Cyber Exercise and Planning Program (NCEPP), under the Office of Cybersecurity & Communications (CS&C), sponsors the exercise series.

The first National Cyber Exercise (NCE) Cyber Storm was executed successfully on February 6-10, 2006. The United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) was responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating all aspects of Cyber Storm. The first Government-led, full-scale, cyber security exercise of its kind, Cyber Storm was a coordinated effort between international, Federal and State governments, and private sector organizations to exercise their response, coordination, and recovery mechanisms in reaction to simulated cyber events. Cyber Storm provided participants with a controlled environment in which to exercise a coordinated cyber incident response, including information sharing mechanisms, procedures for establishing situational awareness, public and private organizational decision making, and public communications during a cyber-related Incident of National Significance. Over 100 public and private agencies, associations, and corporations participated in the exercise from over 60 locations and 5 countries. They collaborated in crisis response at operational, policy and public affairs levels in this federally funded and congressionally mandated emergency response exercise. The exercise included participation of more than 30 private sector corporations and associations in its planning, execution, and after action analysis.

The most recent exercise, CS V, served as a catalyst for learning for the cyber incident response community. Through the exercise planning and execution process, participants: Exercised response to a significant cyber incident with support from federal, state, private sector, and international organizations; Integrated new stakeholders into a CS national-level capstone exercise, including two new sectors and eight new states - expanding their exposure to cyber response exercises, and providing a foundation for future exercise and improvement efforts; Provided an avenue for sector coordination bodies, such as Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISAC) and Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAO), to test and refine their coordination mechanisms and demonstrate the value of participation or membership.

This compilation also includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.